Analysis by the CU News Corps shows that for the period from Aug. 2 through Sept. 26, more than $24 million was spent on 23,000 ads contracted to run on Denver’s top four television stations through Nov. 6. That’s up $4.4 million and 4,200 spots since the last CU News Corps analysis Sept. 12.

For “Dancing With the Stars,” incumbent U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman, a Republican in Colorado’s 6th Congressional District, will run a 30-second spot each week through Election Day, paying $6,000 for each. His Democratic competitor, Joe Miklosi, also bought spots during that show for around the same price.

Where are the ads? Virtually everywhere. Both presidential campaigns bought weekly time slots during the soap opera “Days of Our Lives” on KUSA ranging from $900 to $1,350 per 30-second spot. Mitt Romney and the Republican Party advertised during “Grimm,” a show about supernatural fairy tales, paying $1,400 for a 30-second spot. Obama’s campaign bought two 30-second spots during the popular crime show “NCIS” at $3,750 each. Each of these political spots is repeated weekly until Election Day.

The most common buy for political ads is the local news. Campaigns want to reach the news-watching demographic the most.

Pro football is the costliest ad buy. The Obama campaign spent $104,000 Friday for a 2-minute spot to run just before the Broncos-Raiders game Sunday.

Republican super PAC American Crossroads spent $45,000 for a single 30-second spot during the Sept. 9 Broncos game on KUSA.

And the Obama campaign plans to spend $60,000 for two ads during the Oct. 28 Broncos game and $20,000 for two 30-second ads during an NFL game Nov. 4, two days before Election Day.

“A lot of people watch football in this state, especially the normally hard-to- reach male demographic,” said Mark Cornetta, president and general manager of KUSA. “Not only do a lot of men watch football, but so do a lot of women, meaning that these ads can reach a lot of people.”

The CU News Corps is staffed by students at the University of Colorado at Boulder’s Journalism & Mass Communication program.

Campaigns and total spent Aug. 2-Sept. 26

Obama for America: $6,165,595

Romney for President: $2,346,305

Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee: $2,098,225

Priorities USA Action (supports Obama): $1,928,990

Perlmutter for Congress: $1,402,955

American Crossroads (supports Romney): $1,299,075

Joe Coors 4 Congress: $1,060,540

Joe Miklosi for Congress: $995,585

Americans for Prosperity (free-markets advocate): $950,990

Mike Coffman for Congress: $947,465

House Majority PAC (supports Democrats): $756,725

Pace for Congress 2012: $458,985

Crossroads GPS (supports Romney): $440,725

Restore Our Future: $411,625

Americans for Job Security: $335,850

Tipton for Congress: $161,100

American Federation of State and County Municipal Employees: $153,300

SEIU/AFSCME: $107,125

Mayors Against Illegal Guns: $9,050

Grand Total: $24,260,455

This story has been corrected in this online archive. Originally, due to a reporter’s error, I-News was named as a participant. Also, the amoun tspent on ads by the National Republican Congressional Committee was incorrect.

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